"You defended yourselves fairly well, I grant you. We reckon three soft-living house-dwellers to one of us. You are a Westerner, I can tell that, though your silent friend has the face of an Elwherite. Have you come from the East or the West?"
"The West," Elric said, "we are free travelling warriors, hiring our swords to those who'll pay or promise us good booty."
"Are all Western warriors as skilful as you?" Terarn Gashtek could not hide his sudden realisation that he might have under-estimated the men he hoped to conquer.
"We are a little better than most," lied Moonglum, "but not much."
"What of sorcery-is there much strong magic here?"
"No," said Elric, "the art has been lost to most."
The barbarian's thin mouth twisted into a grin, half of relief, half of triumph. He nodded his head, reached into his gaudy silks and produced a small black and white bound cat. He began to stroke its back. It wriggled but could do no more than hiss at its captor. "Then we need not worry," he said.
"Now, why did you come here? I could have you tortured for days for what you did, slaying ten of my best outriders."
"We recognised the chance of enriching ourselves by aiding you, Lord Flame Bringer," said Elric. "We could show you the richest towns, lead you to ill-defended cities that would take little time to fall. Will you enlist us?"
"I've need of such men as you, true enough. I'll enlist you readily-but mark this, I'll not trust you until you've proved loyal to me. Find yourselves quarters now-and come to the feast, tonight. There I'll be able to show you something of the power I hold-the power which will smash the strength of the West and lay it waste for ten thousand miles."
"Thanks," said Elric. "I'll look forward to tonight."
They left the tent and wandered through the haphazard collection of tents and cooking fires, wagons and animals. There seemed little food, but wine was in abundance and the taut, hungry stomachs of the barbarians were placated with that.
They stopped a warrior and told him of Terarn Gashtek's orders to them. The warrior sullenly led them to a tent.
"Here-it was shared by three of the men you slew. It is yours by right of battle, as are the weapons and booty inside."
"We're richer already," grinned Elric with feigned delight.
In the privacy of the tent, which was less clean than Terarn Gashtek's, they debated.
"I feel uncommonly uncomfortable," said Moonglum, "surrounded by this treacherous horde. And every time I think of what they made of Eshmir, I itch to slay more of them. What now?"
"We can do nothing now-let us wait until tonight and see what develops." Elric sighed. "Our task seems impossible-I have never seen so great a horde as this."
"They are invincible as they are," said Moonglum. "Even without Drinij Bara's sorcery to tumble down the walls of cities, no single nation could withstand them and, with the Western Nations squabbling among themselves, they could never unite in time. Civilisation itself is threatened. Let us pray for inspiration-your dark gods are at least sophisticated, Elric, and we must hope that they'll resent the barbarian's intrusion as much as we do."
"They play strange games with their human pawns," Elric replied, "and who knows what they plan?"
Terarn Gashtek's smoke-wreathed tent had been further lighted by rush torches when Elric and Moonglum swaggered in, and the feast, consisting primarily of wine, was already in progress.
"Welcome, my friends," shouted the Flame Bringer, waving his goblet. "These are my captains-come, join them! "
Elric had never seen such an evil-looking group of barbarians. They were all half-drunk and, like their leader, had draped a variety of looted articles of clothing about themselves. But their swords were their own.
Room was made on one of the benches and they accepted wine which they drank sparingly.
"Bring in our slave I" yelled Terarn Gashtek. "Bring in Drinij Bara our pet sorcerer." Before him on the table lay the bound and struggling cat and beside it an iron blade.
Grinning warriors dragged a morose-faced man close to the fire and forced him to kneel before the barbarian chief. He was a lean man and he glowered at Terarn Gashtek and the little cat Then his eyes saw the iron blade and his gaze faltered.
"What do you want with me now?" he said sullenly.
"Is that the way to address your master, spell-maker? Still, no matter. We have guests to entertain-men who have promised to lead us to fat merchant cities. We require you to do a few minor tricks for them."
"I'm no petty conjurer. You cannot ask this of one of the greatest sorcerers in the world! "
"We do not ask-we order. Come, make the evening lively. What do you need for your magic-making? A few slaves-the blood of virgins? We shall arrange it."
"I'm no mumbling shaman-I need no such trappings."
Suddenly the sorcerer saw Elric. The albino felt the man's powerful mind tentatively probing his own. He had been recognised as a fellow sorcerer. Would Drinij Bara betray him?
Elric was tense, waiting to be denounced. He leaned back in his chair and, as he did so, made a sign with his hand which would be recognised by Western sorcererswould the Easterner know it?
He did. For a moment he faltered, glancing at the barbarian leader. Then he turned away and began to make new passes in the air, muttering to himself.
The beholders gasped as a cloud of golden smoke formed near the roof and began to metamorphose into the shape of a great horse bearing a rider which all recognised as Terarn Gashtek. The barbarian leader leaned forward, glaring at the image.
"What's this?"
A map showing great land areas and seas seemed to unroll beneath the horse's hooves. "The Western lands," cried Drinij Bara. "I make a prophecy."
"What is it?"
The ghostly horse began to trample the map. It split and flew into a thousand smoky pieces. Then the image of the horseman faded, also, into fragments.
"Thus will the mighty Flame Bringer rend the bountiful nations of the West," shouted Drinij Bara.
The barbarians cheered exultantly, but Elric smiled thinly. The Eastern wizard was mocking Terarn Gashtek and his men.
The smoke formed into a golden globe which seemed to blaze and vanish.
Terarn Gashtek laughed. "A good trick, magicmaker-and a true prophecy. You have done your work well. Take him back to his kennel! "
As Drinij Bara was dragged away, he glanced questioningly at Elric but said nothing.
Later that night, as the barbarians drank themselves into a stupor, Elric and Moonglum slipped out of the tent and made their way to the place where Drinij Bara was imprisoned.
They reached the small hut and saw that a warrior stood guard at the entrance. Moonglum produced a skin of wine and, pretending drunkenness, staggered towards the man. Elric stayed where he was.
"What do you want, Outlander?" growled the guard.
"Nothing my friend, we are trying to get back to our own tent, that's all. Do you know where it is?"
"How should I know?"
"True-how should you? Have some wine-it's goodfrom Terarn Gashtek's own supply."
The man extended a hand. "Let's have it."
Moonglum took a swig of the wine. "No, I've changed my mind. It's too good to waste on common warriors."
"Is that so?" The warrior took several paces towards Moonglum. "We'll find out, won't we? And maybe we'll mix some of your blood with it to give it flavour, my little friend."
Moonglum backed away. The warrior followed.
Elric ran softly towards the tent and ducked into it to find Drinij Bara, wrists bound, lying on a pile of uncured hides. The sorcerer looked up.
"You-what do you want?"
"We've come to aid you, Drinij Bara."
"Aid me? But why? You're no friend of mine. What would you gain? You risk too much."